9 May 2016

After months of marginalisation at Anfield, Jose Enrique's Liverpool career is finally over, and the club has dumped the Spanish international in a way that is (IMO) unbecoming of a top-flight football club.

Last week, Enrique reiterated that he is 'focused on playing for Liverpool', but confirmed that 'several clubs' have contacted his Agent about a possible summer move.

"Enrique has been informed that his services [are] no longer required at the training ground. The left back is free to plan his next move".

Liverpool - have basically put Enrique on gardening, but in the meantime, he'll still be paid his massive £75k-a-week salary, which means he's being paid for nothing. Bravo, Liverpool - another sound financial decision!

In my view, this is shabby treatment of Enrique (or indeed any player):

* I'm no fan of the Spaniard, but no one forced Liverpool to sign Enrique, and give him a ridiculous 5-year contract at £75k-a-week.

* By the same token, Enrique was perfectly within his rights to reject moves to West Brom and Newcastle, and by doing so, he merely exercised his contractual rights (just as you or I would do in our jobs with a similarly attractive salary on offer).

* If Enrique is a disruptive influence on the training ground, and/or isn't pulling his weight then there may be grounds for basically banning him from Melwood, but there's no evidence of that.

* By all accounts, Enrique remains popular in the dressing room, and in January 12+ Liverpool players attended his 30th birthday party (including Benteke, Sakho, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Lucas, and Coutinho).

* Additionally, if Enrique is to secure another club, he needs to stay in shape, and Jurgen Klopp has now made it a little more difficult for him to do that.

What possible difference could it have made to allow Enrique to continue training for a few more weeks? In my view, it's all a bit distasteful, and smacks of vindictiveness.